MIT Technology Review - softwarehttp://www.technologyreview.com/tagged/software/
enGoogle’s Modular Smartphone to Debut in Puerto Ricohttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/534236/googles-modular-smartphone-to-debut-in-puerto-rico/
<p>An attempt to release customizable smartphones made up of interchangeable modules is inching forward.</p><p>Google’s vision of cheap modular smartphones made up of interchangeable pieces is getting closer to reality. The company showed off the latest prototype on Wednesday, and said that it will start selling its first modular phone in Puerto Rico later this year.</p>Thu, 15 Jan 2015 21:00:00 +0000Kyanna.Sutton534236 at http://www.technologyreview.comRobot Journalist Finds New Work on Wall Streethttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/533976/robot-journalist-finds-new-work-on-wall-street/
<p>Software that turns data into written text could help us make sense of a coming tsunami of data.</p><p>Software that was first put to work writing news reports has now found another career option: drafting reports for financial giants and U.S. intelligence agencies.</p>Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:20:00 +0000juniper.friedman533976 at http://www.technologyreview.comThree Questions with Slack’s CEOhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/532606/three-questions-with-slacks-ceo/
<p>Slack wants to be an open, searchable home for all your work communication.</p><p>While apps for work don’t usually inspire much excitement, there’s something almost palpable about the buzz surrounding <a href="http://www.slack.com" target="0">Slack</a>, a fast-growing communication app for the office.</p>Fri, 21 Nov 2014 20:00:00 +0000juniper.friedman532606 at http://www.technologyreview.comGoogle’s Brain-Inspired Software Describes What It Sees in Complex Imageshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/532666/googles-brain-inspired-software-describes-what-it-sees-in-complex-images/
<p>Experimental Google software that can describe a complex scene could lead to better image search or apps to help the visually impaired.</p><p>Researchers at Google have created <a href="http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-picture-is-worth-thousand-coherent.html" target="0">software</a> that can use complete sentences to accurately describe scenes shown in photos—a significant advance in the field of computer vision. When shown a photo of a game of ultimate Frisbee, for example, the software responded with the description “A group of young people playing a game of frisbee.” The software can even count, giving answers such as “Two pizzas sitting on top of a stove top oven.”</p>Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:30:00 +0000juniper.friedman532666 at http://www.technologyreview.com“Dark Web” Version of Facebook Shows a New Way to Secure the Webhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/532256/dark-web-version-of-facebook-shows-a-new-way-to-secure-the-web/
<p>A new way to access Facebook securely and anonymously via the “dark Web” could provide a model for other sites.</p><p>Facebook.com is one of the most frequently accessed URLs in the world, but on Friday the social network unveiled a new one: <a href="https://facebookcorewwwi.onion/" target="_blank">facebookcorewwwi.onion</a>.</p>Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:46:00 +0000juniper.friedman532256 at http://www.technologyreview.comA Path to Better Smartphone Camerashttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/530476/a-path-to-better-smartphone-cameras/
<p>A Canadian startup turns to software to improve the quality and reduce the size of smartphone cameras.</p><p>Fitting the hardware for a high-quality camera into a slender smartphone is tricky. The smoother a camera lens, the less distortion it will produce. But if a lens is too small, the effect of any distortion is magnified. As a result, you sometimes see a bulge sticking out of handsets to accommodate a smooth yet sizable lens.</p>Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:58:32 +0000juniper.friedman530476 at http://www.technologyreview.comGE’s $1 Billion Software Bethttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/527381/ges-1-billion-software-bet/
<p>To protect lucrative business servicing machines, GE turns to the industrial Internet.</p><p>To understand why General Electric is plowing $1 billion into the idea of using software to transform industry, put yourself in the shoes of Jeff Immelt, its CEO.</p>Tue, 20 May 2014 04:00:00 +0000Kyanna.Sutton527381 at http://www.technologyreview.comCan “Infinite Variation” Be Mass-Produced Using 3-D Printing?http://www.technologyreview.com/news/515536/can-infinite-variation-be-mass-produced-using-3-d-printing/
<p>Shapeways looks to software to bring down production costs and time to market in its 3-D printing factory in New York City.</p><p>The East River waterfront of Queens, New York, once was a busy manufacturing hub. Pepsi had a bottling plant there, Swingline produced staplers, and Eagle Electric made circuits and switches.</p>Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000juniper.friedman515536 at http://www.technologyreview.comWindows 8: Design over Usabilityhttp://www.technologyreview.com/review/511116/windows-8-design-over-usability/
<p>Windows 8 gets a lot right, but Microsoft’s determination to offer computer and mobile users the same interface makes the operating system somewhat weird.</p><p>Windows 8 is a computer science masterpiece trapped inside a user interface kerfuffle. Microsoft’s new operating system for phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and servers brims with innovative technologies, bold ideas, and visual elegance. The system’s radical new interface, called Modern, is a pleasure to use on phones and tablets. And although that interface fares poorly on today’s larger desktop computer screens, Windows 8 probably won’t damage the company’s standing in corporate America. It might even shore up its eroding presence on residential desktops and laptops by offering a user experience that’s new, fun, and different from anything offered by Apple and Google. Indeed, that’s my only real criticism of Windows 8: the touch-based user interface is clearly designed for consuming information and having fun, rather than for doing serious work.</p>Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000Kyanna.Sutton511116 at http://www.technologyreview.comA Look Back at Predictive Assistants and Lurching Giantshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/508971/a-look-back-at-predictive-assistants-and-lurching-giants/
<p>In 2012, hardware and software brought us usability advances, faster chips, and gesture control.</p><p>One of the most interesting threads of innovation in computing over the past 12 months can be traced back to the preceding year. In 2011, Apple’s virtual assistant Siri showed how software and computers could be more than just tools—something <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428430/siris-new-cousin-works-as-a-bank-teller/">closer to collaborators</a>. In 2012, Apple’s competitors extended that notion in ways that could shape all kinds of technology for years to come.</p>Tue, 25 Dec 2012 05:00:00 +0000juniper.friedman508971 at http://www.technologyreview.com